Killara to St Ives via Rocky Creek

This pleasant walk starts at the bottom of Eastern Arterial Road (near the speed camera) and follows the service trails and bush tracks into Garigal National Park and down the side of the valley to Middle Harbour Creek. From here the track follows Middle Harbour Creek north to the pipe bridge, and along the Bungaroo bush track and the pipeline service trail as it climbs up to St Ives.* This walk passes through very remote areas and sections have no visible track. At least one person in your group should have training and experience in off track walking and navigation. Even with these notes and a GPS these extra skills and equipment are required.

(0km) Eastern Arterial Rd → End of Bushrangers Reserve service trail

1.5 km

33 mins

83m

-62m

Moderate track

From Eastern Arterial Rd at the bottom of the hill near the speed camera (approximately 300m south of Nicholson Ave), this walk passes the ‘Bushranger Reserve’ sign and heads through the metal gate. The walk follows the grassy trail up the hill and through the dense bush, undulating gently as it steadily climbs the side of the valley. The walk passes an intersection with an overgrown trail (downhill on the left) and continues for a while to the end of the management trail.

(1.45km) End of Bushrangers Reserve service trail → Int of Koola Ave service trail and Bushranger Reserve track

90 m

3 mins

15m

0m

Moderate track

Veer right: From the end of the management trail, this walk follows the bush track along the side of the hill for a short distance, before turning right and climbing steeply up the rocky hill. The walk soon comes to the base of a large rock outcrop, where the track turns left and continues up the hill, climbing up through the outcrop and the trees to an intersection with a management trail.

(1.54km) Int of Koola Ave service trail and Bushranger Reserve track → Int of Murrumba Place servicetrail and Koola bushtrack

730 m

15 mins

35m

-19m

Moderate track

Veer left: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail, keeping the valley on the left and passing behind houses on the right. It soon comes to an intersection with a grassy management trail on the right.Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail, keeping the valley to the left. The trail passes behind the houses (up to the right) as it undulates through the bush for a while, before coming down to the intersection with the management trail (uphill on the right).Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail heading down the hill, with the ground sloping up to the right, for a short distance until coming to the intersection with the defined bush track on the left.

Hard track

Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading south-east, through the bush and away from the management trail. After a little while, the track starts to drop down the long and, at times, quite steep rocky hill, descending into the valley. After a while,this walk comes down to the intersection of the Middle Harbour Creek track, about 20m above the creek at the bottom of the valley.

Experienced only

Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the rocky bush track with the ground sloping up to the left. Keeping Middle Harbour Creek on the right, this track undulates along the bottom of the valley for a long while before rising up above the junction with Rocky Creek. The track bends left to follow Rocky Creek for a little while, then drops steeply down the hill, coming to the Rocky Creek crossing where someone has tied up a wire across the creek. From the other side of the creek, this walk follows a very faint track, climbing up the hill and continuing through the bush for a little while before coming to two pipelines. The track heads heads around the smaller pipeline and continues under the second, climbing to the ‘Y’ intersection of a management trail and bush track.

Pipeline

This pipeline is unearthed at Hunter Street, St Ives, and travels through Garigal National Park, across Middle Harbour Creek to John Oxley Drive, Sorlie. The pipe carries water under pressure From Ryde to Pymble to the reservoir at Beacon Hill. The old smaller-capacity pipe can still be seen running parallel to the larger pipe.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading away from the pipeline, keeping the creek on the right as it winds through the thick bush for a while with the ground sloping up to the left. The walk comes to the intersection with the Bungaroo track (this heads up the wooden steps on the left).

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, with the ground sloping up to the left and keeping the wide creek a short distance (through the bush) to the right. The track continues through the thick bush and around some boulders for a little while before bending to the right and coming to the Middle Harbour Creek, which it crosses at the large sandstone steppingstones (not safe to cross if stepping stones covered in water). The walk then continues up the steps on the other side to the signposted intersection of the ‘Governor Phillip Track’. At the end of this side trip, retrace your steps back to the main walk then Turn right.

Bungaroo

Governor Arthur Phillip (first governor of NSW) described this section of the river as where “the flowing of the tide ceased”. Phillip and his party of nine camped here in 1788 whilst looking for land suitable for farming. John White (Surgeon General) described the the area as “the most desert, wild and solitary seclusion that the imagination can form any idea of”. Over the past 200 years the river has changed, but somewhere not far upstream of the stepping stone is Bungaroo. More info.

Hard track

Turn left : From the intersection, this walk heads up the steep wooden steps and follows the bush track, winding up the long hill for a while, climbing both wooden and rock steps as it winds up and around rock platforms. After climbing some more wooden steps, this walk comes to an intersection with the middle link track, at a rock surface with 3 green painted arrows.Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading north-west, keeping the valley on the right as the track winds steadily up through the bush via some spaced-out wooden steps. The walk then climbs up some rock steps through a cleft in a rock outcrop, and then continues along for a short distance to the intersection of the upper link track.Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, heading north through the bush for a short while before coming to the lookout rock at the track markers. From here, the walk follows the bush track, heading up the wooden steps and through the gum trees for a short while before coming to the intersection with the Pipeline Track, with a sign pointing back along the ‘Bungaroo Track’.

(5.67km) Int of Pipeline and Bungaroo Tracks → Int of Pipeline Track and Founders Way

180 m

3 mins

0m

-8m

Easy track

Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the Pipeline Track arrow along the management trail, keeping the pipeline on the left as it heads through the bush for a while, before it passes a ‘Garigal National Park’ signpost and comes down to the intersection with the wide management trail heading off to the right.

Easy track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, keeping the pipeline on the left and the backs of the houses on the right, as the walk heads through the bush for a while before climbing up a hill to the intersection of Hunter Avenue, where the pipeline goes underground.

Maps for the Killara to St Ives via Rocky Creek walk

You can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.

Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Killara to St Ives via Rocky Creek

Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001

Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.

Length

6.8 km

Time

3 hrs

.

Grade 5/6

Experienced only

AS 2156.1

Gradient

Very steep (4/6)

Quality of track

Rough unclear track (5/6)

Signs

Directional signs along the way (3/6)

Experience Required

Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)

Weather

Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Infrastructure

Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)

Some more details of this walks Grading

Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk

Gradient

3.8km of this walk has short steep hills and another 2.3km has gentle hills with occasional steps. Whilst another 530m is very steep and the remaining 220m is flat with no steps.

Quality of track

2.7km of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles and another 1.8km follows a clear and well formed track or trail. Whilst another 1.2km follows a rough unclear track and the remaining 1.1km follows a rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely.

Signs

Around 4.8km of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 2km is clearly signposted.

Experience Required

Around 3.5km of this walk requires some bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 3.3km requires no previous bushwalking experience.

weather

This whole walk, 7km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).

Infrastructure

Around 3.7km of this walk is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats), whilst the remaining 3.1km has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced).

Similar walks

A list of walks that share part of the track with the Killara to St Ives via Rocky Creek walk.

Fire Danger

http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_fire_danger.php?walkid=nsw-gariganp-ktsivrc
Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.

Weather Forest

This walk starts in the Metropolitan weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.
http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_weather_danger.php?walkid=nsw-gariganp-ktsivrc
Forecast snapshot